Friday, July 23, 2010

I used to be a programmer by profession, believe it or not. In terms of education and paper qualifications, I have a bachelor's degree in IT, from a rather distinguished university. In fact, I was employed in IT jobs for at least 2+ years previously.

However, I gleefully left my IT ways behind me the moment I gained access to an editorial/writing career. It is my one of my true loves, after all.

Then, once in awhile, there comes a night like tonight, when my parents present me with some computer challenge that they are facing. And thanks to the principle of past behaviour defining future behaviour, they still think I am able to solve their problem.

So, well, I try. And as how it usually goes at the first attempt, I flat out fail. Then I consult my virtual best friend, Google, and 20-30 minutes later, I've got the troubling issue dealt with. Perhaps my IT troubleshooting skills haven't left me after all.

But really, this goes to prove just ONE thing: you don't have to be a genius or an expert to be able to ace something. You just need persistence, an inquisitive mind, and a nose pointed in the right direction for help, advice, and ultimately, the turning up of the right solution.

And so, my dear friends, before you decide to say "no" to some favour that someone else is asking of you because you think it's out of your league, think again. It may not be as hard to figure out as you imagined.

Plus, you might earn the label HERO afterwards, which is better than any amount of paper qualifications hanging on your wall.